


this road onward

by skioctober



Series: in an alternate universe [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mimi wo Sumaseba | Whisper of the Heart, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance, Studio Ghibli, and this is what happened, i watched whisper of the heart last night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:23:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21470008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skioctober/pseuds/skioctober
Summary: His hand lifts in a careless wave, full lips quirking upward into a smirk that somehow seems more endearing than before he'd left. His dark hair, a little longer now, is teased by a breath of sharp air.The blue of his eyes pierces right through her.“Bucky?”
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Anna Sellers - OC, James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Series: in an alternate universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1547617
Kudos: 5





	this road onward

**Author's Note:**

> So I watched Whisper of the Heart (and The Cat Returns!) last night and fell head over heels in love with it. It has surpassed Howl's Moving Castle as my favorite Ghibli film (a position it held for 10 years!) and I immediately sat down to write this.
> 
> My obsession, apparently, knows no bounds. But I hope y'all enjoy this!

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Her bedroom is freezing.

This is Anna's first thought upon waking, the second being that it's disgustingly early, if the dim lighting is anything to go by.

She rolls over, stretching to snap her spine back into place before throwing back her blankets. She glances up to see the window still open and rolls her eyes at her own forgetfulness. It may only be early November, but winter's edging in early this year.

She glances at the calendar hanging beside the window. Red Xes fill the page, the passing days carefully crossed to mark the approaching deadline. She sighs, heavy, wistful.

Anna met her goal days ago, or the first leg of it anyway. There was so much more to the story, to the process of writing itself, than she had ever imagined. The emotional investment was something she hadn't expected, either, but after the good cry she'd had with Bucky's grandfather – and the bowl of Nikolai's noodles – she'd felt worlds better, about the story and herself.

Would it be enough for Bucky?

He'd been in Italy all this time, pushing himself, driven by his passion and the vision he'd created for his future. Inspired, Anna had exerted herself to the utmost end of exhaustion in the hope that she could be worthy of the connection they'd made.

_I guess we'll know tomorrow, _she thinks, rising to close the window.

Bucky would return from Italy after his two-month stint, and they would be reunited. Then they would see.

She takes a moment to peer through the window, down to the street below, away to the heart of the city and the horizon beyond. It's barely dawn, and bitterly cold for autumn, but there's also a strange peace.

As her hands raise to bring the window down, a movement on the street catches her eye.

An aging, rickety bicycle, whose red paint is bright despite its condition. She can hear the sharp squeak of the wheels as it comes to a halt, and feels her breath catch.

His hand lifts in a careless wave, full lips quirking upward into a smirk that somehow seems more endearing than she remembers. His dark hair, a little longer now, is teased by a breath of sharp air.

The blue of his eyes pierces right through her.

“Bucky?” She calls, almost too softly for him to hear, but the words reach him nonetheless and he nods, pointing excitedly toward the gate of the complex. She nods, hurriedly, and darts through her apartment.

Anna grabs nothing, not even a proper coat, only stopping long enough to shove her feet into a pair of boots near the door before hurtling herself through it.

The cold hits her like a slap in the face, but she doesn't stop until she collides with Bucky's chest. His arms encircle her waist instantly, and she presses a rush of quick kisses up his neck and jaw.

“What – are – you – doing – here?” She asks, between pecks, finally pulling back to look him in the face. “I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow!”

“Hi to you, too, doll,” he replies, returning her kisses with one of his own, a chaste press of his lips to hers. “I decided to come back a day early.”

Something warm sparks in her chest. “So you rode your bike all the way over here to freeze your ass off?”

The grin that cruises across his face is like the sun rising. “You were the first person I wanted to see.”

The warmth blossoms, spreading with the beat of her heart until it shines out of her eyes and she can no longer feel the cold. She kisses him again. “I missed you.”

“Missed you, too.” He shifts on the bike, adjusting to make room for her. “Hop on.”

“What?”

“There's somethin' I wanna show you.” Despite his eagerness, Bucky does take a moment to pull his jacket off and drape it around her shoulders. “Now you'll be warm. Come on!”

Anna climbs on, arms happily encircling Bucky's waist to hold herself close to him, and then they're flying through the neighborhood. The slowly lightening streets flash by them, silent but for the occasional passing car.

“It's amazing,” Bucky calls, turning his head a little to be heard over the air rushing around them. “I was sittin' out there, callin' you in my head. Then there you were, right in the window like you'd heard me. We gotta be meant for each other, doll.”

Anna smiles, leans her forehead against his back. Bucky's always so warm. “We are.”

A car passes by, the driver craning his neck to peer at them. Wondering why two crazy kids are out in the cold so early in the morning.

“How was Cremona? What did the maestro say?”

“Different than I imagined, and the maestro said I'm not great yet but I could be.” Bucky careens the bike around a corner, narrowly dodging the paper boy on his morning route. “So I decided I'd finish out high school, then go back to Italy.”

“Bucky that's wonderful!”

The thought of having him close, at least for a few more years, makes her heart soar. Already their future is paving itself before them, the long road twisting and winding ahead of them far into the distance.

When they reach an impossibly steep hill and Bucky has to fight to get up, Anna frowns. “Should I get off?”

“No way!” Bucky's strong, and he's forcing the bike up the incline with everything he has. “I decided I was going to ride up this hill, and take you with me.”

“Who said you could decide that?” She demands, leaping off the bike so she can help push it uphill. “I'm not going to be just a burden. If I'm going with you then I'm going to help you!”

Bucky turns to look back at her, blue eyes bright with feeling. “Alright then, help me push!”

It takes a few minutes, both of them fighting to clear the incline, but soon they're cresting the hill and Anna bends over, panting and trying to catch her breath.

Bucky circles back around for her. “Anna, come on.”

She nods, darting forward to haul herself back on behind him. She leans into Bucky, catches the faint scent of him wafting up from his jacket around her shoulders. Cedar and spice.

Home.

Bucky rides them along to the top of another slope and dismounts, leading her around a fenced-in tower to small swath of grass. He hops down from the ledge, offering his hand to help her after him, and leads her to the edge of the green.

The hill drops off sharply, and beyond is a vast swath of the city. The buildings are almost entirely hidden by a thick morning mist. It drifts slowly, silently, and for a moment something shifts in the air and it seems to Anna that they are the only two people left in a far off world.

She stares, mesmerized. “It's like the sea!”

“It's beautiful, right?” Bucky asks, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and looking out, proud and pleased. “This is where I come to get inspired. I wanted to share it with you.”

She kisses his cheek, turns back to watch the first soft rays of the waking sun spill golden onto the world. “Thank you.”

“Gramps told me everything, about your story and how hard you've been workin'. I feel bad for not being here to encourage you. I was just in Italy, worryin' about myself.”

“Don't be sorry,” Anna says, shaking her head. “You're the reason I started writing. It was a struggle, but I'm glad I did it. I know myself better now. I'll study more, and write more. I'll get to where I want to be.”

She meets his eyes, unsurprised to see Bucky looking at her – he's always looking at her, it seems – but there's something in his expression, something hopeful and shy, that has her heart fluttering.

“Anna,” he begins, breath stuttering. “I – this'll sound ridiculous, but I want to – I mean, could you see us bein' married someday?”

Anna's heart stops, and then bursts. She can't keep her lips from pulling into a wide smile. “I could. I hoped we would.”

His shyness flees, overtaken by an incandescent joy. His entire being is made luminous by it. “Really?!”

“Really,” Anna echoes, giggling. “I'm so happy!”

Bucky whoops, scooping her up into his arms and spinning her around.

“Wait, wait, it's cold!” She wriggles free, opening up his coat so they can both squeeze into it. Bucky only laughs, the sound rolling up from deep inside him and bursting free.

“Anna,” he says, swooping in to kiss her. His eyes glitter madly when they part. “I love you.”

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End file.
